Combined water-jet and suction apparatus and means for operating the same



L. LARSEN. COMBINED WATER JET AND SUCTION APPARATUS AND MEANS: FOR OPERATING THE SAME.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1. T920 2 SHEE1S-SHEET I.

FIGJ

L. LARSEN. PPARATUS AND MEANS FOR OPERATING THE SAME.

APPLICATION FILED .IUNE I, 1920- 1,423,436, Patented July 18, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

COMBINED III/ATER JET AND SUCTION A LEE LARSEN, OE TAMPICO, MEXICO.

COMBINED WATER-JET AND SUCTION APPARATUS AND MEANS FOR OPERATING THE SAME.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 1, 1920. Serial No. 385,849.

To all whom it may concern:

Be. it known that. I, LEE LARSEN, citizen of the United States of America, residing at Tampico, in the State of Tamaulipas, Republic of Mexicmhave invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined Water Jet and Suction Apparatus and Means for Operating the Same, of which the following is'a specification.

My present invention relates to apparatus for digging out material from the most difficult places, on dry land or in deep water, said apparatus is combined with means for moving the excavated material at the same time.

This apparatus can be handled from any convenient point and can dig in to all dithcult places in any direction, and to any depth where other apparatuses have been unable to manage the work, such as digginginside of bulk-heads, straight or curved, as may be required, means being provided for protecting timber, planks, etc, the principal object of the apparatus being .to clean out all superfluous filling, soft or hard, whereafter the excavated ground can be filled in with concrete. 7

The apparatus can be used with advantage for ordinary dredging, and also "for sinking cylinders for building columns, as it can easy be changed for this purpose, and can go down to 'any depth required. only by'extending the pipes and cylinders.

If the apparatus works from barge pontoons, pipelines can easy be put on, at the same time using the excavated material tor filling in again.

Means are provided for moving almost any hard obstruction which may be met with, by an easy manipulation in changing the cutter mechanism. By its relatively simple construction it is easy to handle and can be secured at small expenses, as very little material is necessary for its construction and second hand material'can be used.

With reference to the drawings, Fig. 1 shows the apparatus partly in section, as it is constructed for digging out material for instance inside of bulk heads; Fig. 2 shows the cylinder used in connection with the apparatus when building up columns,

seen from top. Fig. 3 illustrates a plan of a bulk head connected to two columns, constructed with my apparatus, and Fig. 4 shows the apparatus in operation digging in between two wooden bulk heads. Fig. ,5 is a detail of the ball bearing swivel, used in .connection'with this invention, and Fig. 6 is a top view of same, partly in section.

The apparatus used for the objects described is combined of two pipes or tubes, 1 and 2 concentrically arranged, so that the annular space 3 thus formed'by the two pipesor tubes serves as conductor for the water supply to the jet pipes at and the inside space 5 will serve as conveyor for the excavated material which is sucked out by means of centrifugal pumps gradually as the work roceeds. These pipes are in their upper end kept in place by means of a ball. bearing swivel 6 which is shown in detail inFigs. 5 and 6,'and will later be described, while their lower ends are fitted up with a cap cover 7, suction pipe 2 which is furnished with a suitably constructed strainer 8, passes through the center of this cap cover, and jet pipes at are'connected in a convenientnumber to holes in said cap cover 7. To the cap cover 7 is screwed the bowlshaped head 9, which is provided with openings 10 through which the loosened material can enter to be conducted through the strainer 8 to suction pipe 2. The edges of these openings which are conveniently sharpened, will together with the spoonshaped scrapers 11 on the bowl-shaped head 9 help to loosen the material when water is turned in, and through the jet system de liver water to the jet pipes l which pass right through the bowl 9. To pipe or tube 1 is alsofixed scrapers 12 of a spoon-formed shape, in a suitable distance from each other, which will extend the excavation area considerably. t

The ball bearing swivel, to which this combined apparatus is connected with; the water supply and suction-lines, consists of a cap casting 6 to which the flexible hose water lines 13 are arranged so that the water can pass through a canal 14 formed in said casting by extending the cap flange or gland 17 to which the flexible suction 1ine2 is connected by threads 26, f0rming a division 15 between jet line and suction line. The seat which is formed by division 15 and gland or ring 16 placed concentrically to each other, can enter two, also concentrically placed rings 18 and 19, which are casted together by webs 21 forming another part 6 of the ball bearing swivel, the outer ring has a collar 20 which is provided with a groove in which the balls 22 can move. These two described parts, 6 and 6 are connected together by casting 6, which has a groove which corresponds to that in collar 20, so that the double ring casting 6 can with its collar 20 rest and easily turn with the pipes 1 and 2 on the balls 22. To the inner ring of casting 6 is connected the suction pipe by threads 23 and by a ring or union 6 also connected to water pipe 1 by threads 24, while threads 25 of union or ring 6 connects the suction pipe 2-to casting 6, thus forming two separate passages, ermitting casting 6 with union 6 and pipes 1 and 2 to turn freely on balls 22 when the apparatus is placed in a rotary table for excavating. After cast ing 6 has been placed through casting 6 and connected to pipes 1 and .2, casting 6 can be connected to cap casting 6 through flanges 27 by bolts 28, of which a -eonven ient number can be eye-bolts 29 to be placed by any suitable arrangement toa framework or derrick. 1

When using this apparatus by ordinary digging and excavation, part 6 of the ball bearing swivel 6 is passed through part 6 so that flange 2O rests on the ball 22, whereafter it is connected up to the concentrically placed pipes 1 and 2 by means of pinion 6.

Now these parts are boltedtogether with the.

cap cover 6 and placed in a framework or derrick by means of the eye-bolts 29 so that the combined apparatus can move reely in any direction and work from any height desired. The apparatus can now be placed in an adjustable rotary table and it is easy to see that the apparatus can be worked down from any point, in all directions, and by applying the various means for loosening the material. in combination with-the jetting system, it can easily carry away by suction this loosened material through suction pipe 2. V

In case the apparatus should be utilized for digging material for constructing bulkheads orthe. like, of which Fig. 3 shows in plan a form for an absolutely safe and solid construction for this purpose, it will be necessary to dig between two wooden walls for the purpose of placing-concrete in the excavated space. In order not to damage these wooden walls, pipe 1 can be provided with a double ring 30 madca of two angle irons between which is placed rollers or wheels 31 of suitable diameter so that these rollers willprot ect the wooden walls and at the same time facilitate the movement of the apparatus.

As mentioned in the introduction to this specification, it is also possible to construct columns by utilizing this apparatus for digging down to'the depth from which said column shall be built. In order to effect this, the digging apparatus is surrounded by a cylinder 40 as shown in Fig. 2 which can be connected to pipe 1 by means of double hooks 4:1 hinged to a flange or ring 42 made lip-oi angle irons, these books can be connected to a ring or flange e3 inside the cylinder 40 in holes i l-fitted to these hooks. When the cylinder has reached the level from which the column shall be built, the ap paratus is disconnected from'the cylinder simply by lifting the hooks ll out of their respective holes, and corrugated or smooth iron tubes or cylinders can be placed as mold for the column, which can be constructed either solid or hollow, in which latter case a smaller tube or cylinder is placed inside the first and concrete filled into the annular space thus formed by these two tubes or cylinders. 7

What I claim is r 1. A combined water jet and suction apparatus, consisting of two concentrically arranged tubes forming an annular space for conducting water for the jet pipe system and a passage for the excavated material; "a ball bearing swivel attached to the upper end of the tubes, havinginlet for water supply and outlet for the excavated material arranged to said tubes, thelower end of said tubes being connected to a bowl-shaped head, said jet pipe being jointed to said annular space passing through saidhead, said head having means for cutting and loosening material to be excavated. j I 2. In a combined waterjet and suction apparatus, consisting of two concentrically ar ranged tubes, a ball bearing swivel, having an upper part fined to a platecasting, and a lower parusaid upper part having inlet for the jet pipe system and discharge for the excavated material, the lower part consisting of two concentrically connected rings,

thus mounted to said concentrically arranged 1 tubes that the combinedpipe system can move freely on balls on said plate casting. 3. In a combined water jet and suction paratus consisting of twoconcentrically arranged tubes forming passage for jet pipe and suction systems, a ball. bearing swivel. for inlet of jet system and discharge for exca vated material connected to said tubes, said swivel mounted in order to turn said tubes freely a bowl-shaped head connected to said tubes, said bowl-shaped head having outlet for the jet system and inlet for the excavated. material, and means to facilitate the exca vation.

4. The construction claimed in Claim 1 and a plurality of scrapers alongside said In testimony whereof I alfix my signature apparatus to increase the excavation capacity in presence of tWo Witnesses. c

and area.

5. The construction claimed in claim 1 and Y LEE LARSEN' 5 a cylinder connected to said apparatus for Witnesses:

building up columns on places excavated by F. MAQIHESON, the apparatus. MIGUEL SnLKoWITz, O. 

